South Africa: protect the rights of gay people

Why this is important

The chair of the South African Constitutional Review Committee is currently backing a proposal that would condemn gays and lesbians to discrimination, and we need to stop it.

Committee chair Patekile Holomisa has given his personal support to the proposal from the National House of Traditional Leaders to delete the protection for homosexuality from our Constitution. If passed, this would destroy equal protection and leave gay and lesbian South Africans more exposed than ever to brutal attacks, harassment and treatment as second-class citizens.

As one of the first openly gay South African musicians, this is deeply personal for me. But this proposal goes against the grain of mainstream South African sentiment, and threatens so much of the progress we've made as a nation.

Nelson Mandela said during his inauguration speech that: ”Never, never and never again shall it be that this beautiful land will again experience the oppression of one by another.” Together, let's fulfill his vision!

Please sign my petition now to demand that Holomisa retracts his statements and that the Committee rejects this proposal. I'll deliver your signatures at a march to the Constitutional Court this Saturday!